Instagram is Phasing Out Live Filters

Since it initially launched, one of the
hotly demanded Instagram features was Live Filters. That is, the
ability to see your photo through a filter before you take it. The
feature was put in fairly recently, but is being removed going
forward.

"As of the current release (v3.1),
Instagram does not support live filters on the iPhone 5," says
an entry on the Instagram help center. "Going forward, live
filters will be phased out as we work to improve the Instagram
experience for all users."

There's no indication of whether the
live filter feature will be brought back in time, nor is there any
word on whether the filters that were removed and changed to make way
for live filters will be brought back.